Excessum and Aduentus
by marysverse
Summary: Two years of silence and she returns out of the blue full of secrets and no answers.
1. Chapter 1

A/N: So I'm really upset that Chloe is essentially out of Smallville and rumors are that Tess is going to be taking over Watchtower duties! Crazy stupid is all that comes to mind. Since I'm so dejected about this, I decided to write a future/crossover fic for Chloe, post Smallville and post Superman Returns. Hope you enjoy!

**Excessum and Aduentus**

**The Daily Planet**

"You're bringing in a ringer!" Lois exploded, trying to keep her anger in check and failing miserably.

"She's not a ringer Lane. And I expect you to give her your most gracious welcome; it took a lot of convincing to get her here."

"Well un-convince her, she is not needed nor is she welcome!"

"Watch your tone Lane!"

Clark eyes volleyed back and forth between the bickering pair. They'd been going at it for about five minutes and he was waiting for an opportunity to inject some bumbling comment that would diffuse the escalating argument before Lois found herself fired.

Just as he was about to interrupt their 'whose glare can melt the other' contest, a soft knock interrupted all of them.

"Come in!" Perry shouted not breaking eye contact.

The door opened and a high-heeled clad foot appeared first, followed by a toned milk white calf. The mystery girl came in through the door backwards as she finished her conversation with whoever was in the hall. Blonde hair flowed in loose waves down her back as familiar laughter rang out of her mouth. Finally she turned around and green eyes with a hint of mischief immediately sought out the boss's.

"Hope I'm not interrupting?" She pushed up the sleeves of her boyfriend blazer before extending an arm to Perry.

"It's good to see you Perry." Perry took her hand and pulled her in for a tight hug and gave a gruff, "Like-wise old friend," in response. Turning her by the shoulders Perry faced her to his two top reporters.

"Now tell me, do you really have a problem with this?" Perry bit out grumpily.

* * *

Clark nervously cleared his throat for the fifth time as the silence expanded unbearably.

The newcomer typed away comfortably, her eyes straying disappointedly towards Lois from time to time. For her part, Lois kept her eyes burning intently at her computer screen though he doubted she was actually reading anything. Perry had left them fifteen minutes ago; shoving them into a new office he called their "team room" and ordered them to "work it out." She had attempted twice to engage Lois in conversation and was stonewalled each time.

Grabbing a mug off her desk she waved it and asked if either of them wanted some. Clark swallowed noisily, wanting to say yes but fearing the fallout form Lois, while Lois continued her impersonation of the Great Wall of China.

"Nice to see some things don't change." She grumbled softly to herself before heading towards the door.

"Two Years!" Lois exploded from her seat with that statement, biting the words out like they were curse words.

"Two years, three months, 21 days and about two hours since I last heard from you. I got one lousy phone call after you decided to go off and find yourself and then nada, nothing, zip. A great big roar of silence with me not knowing what you were doing, how you were doing, if you were dead or alive. What exactly do you expect me to say, how should I feel about you breezing back here like nothing had changed?"

"I don't know Lois, how about a hi, how are you, that's a common place to start amongst those oh so polite circles you've been running with." She crossed her arms defensively.

"Excuse me, where do you get off judging who I'm friends with, you haven't even been in my life? That is so typical of you to check up on me while leaving me completely in the dark about you." Lois stalked forward, getting in her face.

"Oh sorry I didn't stick around for your disastrous affair with the psychopath that came back from the dead, really sorry I missed you hooking up with the evil megalomaniac that shares a large part of the pie of the number of attempts on my life. What a winner!"

"Well I was in a really weird place and I thought he had changed and I would have talked to you about it, but wait, no, you had to go off to your super secret life!"

"There were things I needed to do and it wasn't exactly my secret to tell, and I know you Lois, had I told you anything, you would have kept digging until you knew everything and then where would we be?"

"We'd be a whole lot closer than we are now." Lois whispered out, for the first time really allowing her hurt to creep in. The blonde turned away, knowing she was wrong, but not seeing a way to explain her behavior without giving away too much.

"We can't share everything Lo, it doesn't work that way anymore." She grabbed her jacket off the hook and went out the door, unable to tell her what she wanted to know, unable to fix the rift that she caused.

Lois threw herself back in seat, frustrated and angry and more than a little relieved to see her baby cousin healthy and whole. Her eyes settled on Clark who was looking furtively at the door, probably trying to figure out whether or not he should go after her.

"I have to say Clark, you are being even more mild mannered than normal."

"Oh, well I didn't want to interrupt. Umm…you guys seemed like you had a lot to talk about." Clark smiled nervously.

"Go after her Clark, make sure she's okay."

"Well are you umm okay?"

"Please Clark, just go after her." She caught his gaze with hers for the first time in a long time, really looking into his eyes. He saw an honesty there, a vulnerable honesty that he didn't think she was capable of anymore. Nodding his head in agreement, he raced out the door.

He saw a flash of blond hair and quickly closed the distance.

"Chloe!" She turned her head looking over her shoulder and flashed a brief smile, slowing her pace to allow him to catch up.

"Hey stranger." She responded as Clark followed her out the door.


	2. Chapter 2

A/N: So I know my timeline is different from the movie, but I didn't want Chloe's return to be that long so I'm shortening everything and I hate the part about Lois having Clark's kid so Imma pretend that never happened.

They walked silently side by side for several minutes. Clark was trying to wrap his head around her return and the implications.

"So, um, how have you been?"

A half smile tipped towards him. "Clark you can drop the bumbling façade, its me, remember?"

He let out a short self-deprecating bark of laughter, trust Chloe to not put up with B.S. "Guess I'm not used to doing that without the suit on."

"Yes I've seen you in the suit. Definite step up from the black trench you used to rock."

"Hmm…and here I thought you'd be giving me a hard time about the tights." He grabbed her arm and pulled her towards the Metropolis Café.

"You are the only costumed vigilante that admits that they are tights!"

"Speaking of, have you talked to the man in green yet?" Clark asked carefully as they waited in line at the counter.

"No." Chloe gave her order and raised a questioning eyebrow to him.

"Oh, I just wanted to know if you had."

"Yea I figured that out from the question, I was more wondering if you wanted any coffee since you dragged me in here," she snarked back.

"Whatever you're having, here let me get that."

"No worries Clark, I'm pretty sure you'll have ample opportunity to get me back, these beans make my world go round." Chloe paid and handed him his cup. He gestured to a secluded booth in the corner and she slid onto the worn vinyl.

Clark sat down across from her, his giant frame making the booth seem small. It was weird being back here with her, he had given up hope of ever seeing her again. She seemed different; Chloe always had an air of introspection, constantly thinking about a dozen different things at one time. But now, it was like she was thinking about a million things at once, she sat there perfectly still, looking back at him but it was like she was taking in every detail, hyper aware of everyone and everything.

"Why don't you just ask me what you want to ask me?" She said gently.

"Ok, where have you been?"

"That's a long story."

"I've got time."

"There are limits to what I can tell you, to what I can explain." Pausing to collect her thoughts she took a sip of her drink.

"It's nice to know some things don't change." Clark mused, smiling at her.

"What's that?"

"You still let out this little sigh of utter satisfaction after your first sip of a fresh cup."

"Hrm…never noticed." Another lull.

"So?" He prompted her.

"So…you know how you went to train with Jor-El? I went and did something like that. I trained to be able to handle something given to me, no given is the wrong word. I didn't really have a choice, something appeared and the next thing I know, I'm somewhere else. And I suppose after a point I could have refused, I could have come back, but I wanted to continue, I needed to."

"Well that's really…vague. You know you can tell me anything Chlo."

Shaking her head, "Its not that simple Clark. I answer to others and until I find someone, I'm not to disclose anything."

"This is sounding less and less like a choice."

"It wasn't at first. But I realized that I was retreating from everyone and everything, I needed to be able to keep up with you guys. To hold my own."

"I think that's a total cop out, you know much we relied on you. Every crisis we had, you were there every step of the way."

"Please Clark, I was a glorified computer, you are a super genius in case you hadn't noticed, alien intelligence and all. Had you done it yourself you would have rivaled Brainiac in your hacking capacity. But mostly I wasn't satisfied being the member of the team that had to be hidden away in a lair to keep her from needing constant rescue."

He sighed in frustration, unable to understand why she always sold herself short.

"Chlo, I don't know how to explain it any better. Waller considered you our greatest asset, it was the only thing that came out of her mouth that I completely agreed with. Did you ever consider that you were outgrowing us?"

"I'm sorry if you feel like I abandoned you, but it was an opportunity I couldn't turn down. A chance for a purpose outside the world wide web. You of all people should understand that, the desire to fulfill a need."

"Yea, I get that." Wryly he pushed his glasses back up the bridge of his nose.

"So, how have you been?"

"If you kept tabs on Lois, I'm assuming you kept tabs on me as well."

"I'm not asking about your alter ego, I know everything that was splashed on the papers. I'm asking how are you."

"To be honest, pretty lonely."

"She'll come to her senses. I know she made some fairly poor dating choices, but she'll realize breaking it off with you was the biggest mistake. Just give her time."

He cleared his throat uncomfortably, "I'm pretty sure that chapter is over. We've both changed so much, its funny, working with her brought us close and now, working together drives us farther apart. And I'm not sure I want that to change, she knew seeing Lex would hurt me, part of me thinks that why she did it. Besides, its not just her, Oliver is spending more time in Star City, the other members have their own lives, their own cities."

"Say my name and I appear." A voice called to him. Turning around in her booth, she watched as Oliver Queen came strolling up to them.

"Oliver, what are you doing here?" Clark asked while indicating for him to sit down. He sat next to Clark and motioned to a tall man waiting at the counter with curly brown hair and startling green eyes to join them.

"Heard a blast from the past had resurfaced, had to see for myself." He responded turning his gaze to Chloe as he spoke.

"Oliver, its good to see you." She smiled at him, blushing slightly.

"Should have known your predilection for coffee and Clark Kent would find you here. We need to talk Chloe."

"Actually, I dragged her here." Clark defended her, frowning at the edge in Oliver's tone.

"Hal, good to see you!" Clark exclaimed, relieved to have someone break up the conversation.

"Hal Jordan, this is Chloe Sullivan." Oliver introduced, reverting to his easy, devil-may-care persona.

Chloe raised her hand up in greeting and her eyes snagged on the ring on his finger.

"Chloe Sullivan, finally we meet!" Hal greeted, taking her hand and sliding in next to her.

"How do you know Chloe?" Oliver asked suspiciously, he was positive neither him nor Clark had ever mentioned her.

"She's who I've been waiting for. The Guardians have told me much about you."

"Of all the places I thought I'd find you, this was probably the bottom of the list." Chloe said, vastly relieved that he was there and apparently on full disclosure terms with Clark and Oliver.

"Wait, you mean she's like you? She's a Green Lantern?" Clark whispered out, surprise written all over his face.

"Two for every sector, so say the Guardians."

"So you forced her into this?" Clark demanded.

"No my friend, the ring chooses its next bearer, it cannot be forced on anyone. The ring chose her because it deemed her as the only one worthy of the responsibility. No one really understands how or why the ring is drawn to its next owner."

"I think we need to take this conversation to headquarters." Oliver announced grimly, he wasn't going to let either one of them out of his sight until all his questions were answered.


End file.
